LEAD Board of Directors Appoints New CEO

The LEAD Public Schools Board of Directors last night unanimously appointed Mr. Dwayne Tucker as the next Chief Executive Officer of the LEAD network. He has served as the Interim Chief Executive Officer since August 2017 and as Board Chairman since 2012.

Mr. Tucker grew up in North Nashville around the corner of Heiman Street, the original home to LEAD Academy. Educated in Nashville public schools, a graduate of North High School and Tennessee State University, Mr. Tucker is both reflective of and committed to the families that LEAD serves.

Mr. Tucker brings 30-plus years of management experience serving in executive roles such as Chief Human Resource Officer, Chief Administrative Officer, and General Manager with First Data, Northwest Airlines, Alliance Data and numerous other companies. In 2009, he left the corporate world and returned home to devote his time and energy to improving the education and lives of kids in Nashville. This includes joining the Board at his alma mater, TSU, and at LEAD.

“As a native Nashvillian, I am committed to see more kids from underserved communities get the high-quality education they need to be prepared for college and life,” Mr Tucker said. “That’s why I am passionate about LEAD Public Schools — we have a vision to provide best-in-class academics to every student, regardless of their background or zip code. I have been honored to work alongside the talented and committed staff across our network over the last year in pursuit of this mission, and now look forward to continuing our efforts for years to come.”

Mr. Tucker’s appointment comes at the conclusion of a school year that marked LEAD’s 10th anniversary and the fifth consecutive year LEAD Academy High School’s graduating class earned 100 percent acceptance to college. In 2017, LEAD celebrated two of its schools being named top in the state as Reward Schools for Progress, LEAD Cameron and LEAD Southeast, and five of the network’s teachers were recognized for excellence in teaching by Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools and the Nashville Public Education Foundation with Blue Ribbon awards.

“Dwayne could be doing any number of things given his experience and background, and we are thrilled he will become our permanent CEO,” said Jerome Oglesby, chairman of the LEAD CEO Search Committee and a Board member. “Since August of 2017 as Interim CEO, he not only brought a wealth of experience to our leadership team, he also exuded humility, character and passion for the mission of LEAD. Following our national search and interviews with multiple candidates, our Board unanimously concluded Dwayne is the best choice to continue to lead our network as we serve the students and families in our care.”

About LEAD Public Schools

LEAD Public Schools is a network of six public charter schools in Nashville, Tennessee that operates both “fresh start” schools and “zoned-enrollment” turnaround schools. From 5th through 12th grades, our schools serve predominantly minority and low-income populations who are likely to be first-generation college attendees. We are the largest charter school provider in one of the nation’s most vibrant cities.